Library | ESG issues
Governance
The governance pillar in ESG (environmental, social, and governance) refers to the systems, policies, and practices that ensure an organisation is managed responsibly and ethically. It includes issues such as board structure, reporting & disclosures, shareholders & voting, and risk management. Strong governance reduces risks, enhances trust, and supports long-term business sustainability.
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Biodiversity loss will decrease the future creditworthiness of nations
This study examines how biodiversity and ecosystem service loss affect sovereign creditworthiness across 23 countries. Using ecological-economic modelling, it finds that a partial ecosystem collapse could generate US$162 billion in additional annual debt servicing costs globally, highlighting that sovereign credit ratings are systematically underpricing nature-related financial risks.
Red lines in the Abyss: Growing financier concern over deep-sea mining
This report maps 82 financial institutions — representing approximately EUR 24 trillion in combined assets — that have excluded or expressed concern over deep-sea mining. Published by Seas At Risk and the Deep Sea Mining Campaign, it charts growing financier momentum against deep-sea mining and calls for explicit exclusion policies from both financial institutions and governments.
Excessive executive compensation: Investor guidance
Published by ICCR in April 2026, this report provides investor guidance on addressing excessive executive compensation. It outlines proxy voting guidelines, pay thresholds, and stewardship frameworks to help investors challenge the growing gap between CEO and worker pay, and promote greater accountability and long-term value creation.
Stablecoins in Africa: Translating global principles into local regulatory practice
This paper is the African Chapter of GDF's Global Stablecoin Regulatory Playbook. It examines how global stablecoin regulatory principles can be applied across Africa's diverse markets, addressing reserve management, consumer protection, AML/CFT compliance, and cross-border coordination, while accounting for local financial infrastructure, dollarisation risks, and varying supervisory capacity.
The benefits of access: Evidence from private meetings with portfolio firms
This paper analyses over 4,700 private meetings between a large active asset manager and portfolio firms using proprietary data from Standard Life Investments (2007–2015). Meetings transmit soft information that influences analyst recommendations and fund manager trading, generating statistically significant abnormal returns and profitable trading decisions.
SRI Connect – Market buzz: SRI/ESG market trends & dynamics
This resource provides an introductory overview of Sustainable and Responsible Investment (SRI) and ESG, explaining key concepts, motivations, terminology, market developments and investment strategies. It is designed to help newcomers understand how sustainability considerations are incorporated into investment practice and the broader sustainable investment industry.
Just transition in action: Complement to NZIF supplementary guidance for just transition
Produced by IIGCC with support from AIGCC, IGCC, and Ceres, this report complements the NZIF Supplementary Guidance on Just Transition. It provides practical case studies and frameworks to help investors integrate social equity considerations into climate-aligned investment strategies across internal direction, asset alignment, and external engagement.
Making water use in global trade more sustainable: The challenge to improve supply-chain resilience and water security in the context of geopolitical change
This Chatham House paper examines how global supply chains drive unsustainable water use and water insecurity, particularly in the Global South. It explores 'virtual water' trade dynamics, the impact of geopolitical fragmentation on cooperative water governance, and presents 10 recommendations for governments, corporations, financial institutions and civil society.
The role of national social dialogue institutions in shaping investment policies
This ILO Working Paper examines how national social dialogue institutions across eight countries and one regional bloc shape trade, investment and responsible business conduct policies. Drawing on eleven case studies, it identifies emerging practices, key challenges including unclear mandates and limited resources, and policy options for strengthening institutional effectiveness.
Leading the charge: Turning risk into reward with a circular economy for EV batteries and critical minerals
This report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation examines systemic risks in the EV battery value chain and sets out a circular economy framework, identifying five bright spots — battery design, rightsizing, circular business models, regional infrastructure, and data transparency — to build resilience and reduce critical mineral demand.
Investment treaties as catalysts for technology transfer in Africa
This policy brief analyses how African investment treaties — more than 1,000 signed to date — support or constrain technology transfer. It examines express and implied treaty restrictions, associated investor-state dispute risks, and recommends that African states adopt precisely drafted provisions and strengthen institutional capacity to enable meaningful technological advancement.
Global report on internal displacement series
The Global Report on Internal Displacement (GRID) is an annual benchmark series published by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). It tracks the scale, drivers, and geography of internal displacement worldwide, covering both conflict- and disaster-driven movements across countries and regions.
The G7 Net Zero Temperature Check
BSI's G7 Net Zero Temperature Check benchmarks corporate net zero progress across G7 nations, surveying over 7,000 business leaders on climate strategy and commitments.
SME Climate Hub
Free platform helping SMEs measure emissions, build climate action plans, and report progress toward net zero by 2050.
Mindful Money Fund Checker
Free NZ tool to check and compare KiwiSaver funds against ethical issues of concern using publicly available data and portfolio analytics.
Trump climate endangerment stories
This interactive mapping tool from the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) combines climate data and community stories to show how climate change is affecting temperatures, water resources, disaster losses, insurance costs and public health across the United States. It also illustrates the projected impacts of changes to federal climate pollution regulations.